Futurist Building Challenge

Activity Overview

What is something you think we will use in the future? Hoverboards….flying scooters….house robots….self-driving cars….jet packs….All these can be avenues for exploring a child's imagination and their ability to make prototypes of their ideas. This activity is an opportunity for students to take charge of their learning through a selection of ideas, materials, and the ways in which they enjoy creating. Our job as educational guides is to help students focus their ideas through inquiry and curiosity, and prompt them with new language and information that will help them broaden their approach.

What You Need

• A collection of Maker Materials: recycled items, fabric, loose parts, items collected from outside or inside, even paper. Whatever works best with the ideas of your student!

• Duct tape and other adhesives

• Imagination

• Paper

• Drawing materials

Steps

1. Use the guiding questions to prompt a conversation with your student about what to create for the future. Remember that our job as guides of instruction is not to take over projects, but rather to listen carefully to what the child is communicating, and ask questions to provide more clarity and help them arrive at the most solid formation of their idea.

2. Help your student visualize what they want to make by drawing a blueprint plan.

3. Collect necessary materials and start making!

Guiding Questions

• What do you think the future will look like? Do you think things will look the same as now, or different?

• Will our cars, houses, bikes, and the things we see everyday look the same, or different?

• Could we redesign something we use to work better?

• Could we help change a big problem with a future invention?

Extensions

• Connect this activity to the work and texts in Promoting Progressive Park Possibilities.